Newcastle centre-back Fabian Schar is wanted by Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, according to reports.
The 30-year-old has made 85 appearances for the North-East club since arriving in 2018 from Deportivo La Coruna, and he has featured regularly under Eddie Howe in recent months.
However, his contract is set to expire in June, and Bordeaux are ready to offer him a long-term deal, as reported by The Sun.
The French club can start negotiating with Schar now, and it is understood that they would like to sign him in the current transfer window to help them stave off the threat of relegation to the second tier.
This would mean that they would have to pay Newcastle a nominal fee, though, rather than waiting until the summer and bringing him in on a free transfer.
The Magpies are not desperate to sell the 69-cap international, although Howe is looking to shake up his backline before the end of the month.
Newcastle have already signed full-back Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid, and their focus has now turned to solidifying the heart of their defence.
They are believed to be targeting Lloyd Kelly, who played under Howe at Bournemouth, while they continue to be linked with Lille's Sven Botman and Sevilla's Diego Carlos.
Yet with two weeks remaining of the transfer window, they have not managed to add a central defender to their ranks.
This may need to change if the team are going to secure Premier League survival in the second half of the season.
Newcastle have kept just one clean sheet in the top-flight in 2021-22, and they conceded a late goal on Saturday against Watford which leaves them inside the bottom three, two points from safety.
They return to action this coming weekend when they travel to Elland Road to face Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds, who have won their last two league matches.